Blended Learning in Grand Rapids, MI
NexTech High School brings blended learning education to your local community. Our Grand Rapids and Lansing locations serve high school students in the surrounding area with a learning environment that allows greater independence, more personalized opportunities, and a flexible schedule. Learn more about the basic features of blended learning to see if it’s right for your student.
Personalized Opportunities
Blended learning is a learning model that combines the benefits of online learning with more traditional classroom instruction. Students attend school for half days, either the morning or afternoon, then spend the other half-day studying and completing assignments online. This gives students and families a more flexible opportunity to tailor their day and the students’ instruction to a pattern that best fits their lifestyle.
Does your student already have a career plan? Starting an internship program while still in high school is possible with blended learning. This unique approach helps them rise to the top of their career or college class with real-world experience. Work experiences and other hands-on activities are just a few ways to keep students engaged in practical educational opportunities.
Increased Independence
The NexTech mission is to create a transformational experience that prepares high school students, emotionally and academically, for work, college, and lifelong pursuits. One way blended learning can assist in this goal is through increased independence. Rather than fully monitored and guided coursework, students at NexTech spend half the day learning independently. This independent, technology-guided experience prepares them for the realities of remote work and encourages self-motivated discovery.
High school is a journey towards independence. After graduation, students are expected to live, work, or study at college on their own. Part of the advantage of a blended learning academy is the opportunity to practice independence in a more structured, part-time environment.
Integrated Experiences
Unlike the traditional classroom model or fully online models, our blended learning academy in Grand Rapids uses an integrated experience to offer both models’ benefits. Small class sizes allow your students to receive ample instruction and discussion time from qualified teachers, while the online component of the school encourages independent discovery.
At home, your student is expected to prepare for on-campus activities. After the enriching activities, success coaching, and individual learning plans at NexTech, your student will work individually on follow-up learning to reflect upon and demonstrate knowledge of the content.
Fully Supported Instruction
Our partial school days are supplemented with state-of-the-art online activities and communication. Instead of only receiving partial instruction or class options, your student will enjoy a fully supported school experience at home, at school, and in the workplace. Half days
of instruction allow room for unique learning opportunities, like internships and work experience.
Our teachers don’t just provide information. Students have the opportunity to study in an advisory program that connects their passions with a fully rounded education. This unique mentorship program allows students to discuss career plans and plan for college or work in a more personalized way.
Request More Information
Embark on a journey of discovery with your students in blended learning classrooms. Contact us at our Grand Rapids location to learn more about this unique educational opportunity. Students don’t have to choose between flexible online learning or social classroom settings but can enjoy the benefits of both in a quality blended learning environment at NexTech High School.
Every student works in a grade level advisory program referred to as Seminar. During this time each student works with a mentor teacher who is dedicated to understanding that student. With this connection our goal is to ensure each student has an advocate for them on the campus. This mentor can help support with questions about classes, help plan for college or careers, and really understand what the student is looking for in their life. This is the heart of our program and the core of what we do. We want to involve the student in their high school experience, and this one way we help to provide their voice to the experience.
All of our students start out in our base model of the program, 16 hours of face to face onsite learning combined with 16 hours of virtual offsite learning. This means students are on campus for four hours a day, four days a week in either our morning or afternoon session. During this time students have the ability to sit in on core academic classes that enhance and expand on our virtual course platform. Most students will have two to three classes a day that they will attend.
What happens when a student is not in class? Students will be assigned into one of our “pods” on the floor. This area is supervised by a classroom teacher who is available to support students as they work through classes or look for additional one on one support. Students are able to work through classes at their pace, and by close monitoring families can help to guide student progress in all courses. This means they may choose to work ahead in a particular subject they have a solid understanding of, while seeking out additional support in ones they are less confident in.
When students leave campus they begin to define true blended learning. The virtual aspects of our program allow a student to plan and prepare for their week much like they will in the “real-world” in college or a career. Students can use their calendars to plan ahead for scheduling internships, work schedules, or outside sports and activities. Students should plan to work 2 hours each day when they leave campus daily, so they should have a set schedule for school built into their day.
